After
Saturday’s news emerged that a long list of high-profile Saudi royals,
military leaders and multi-billionaires were arrested or confined to
their quarters, all seemed to be only an implementation of the crown
prince’s open threat that “no-one is above the law, whether it is a prince or a minister.”

The
current list of arrests include names like Saudi billionaire Prince
Al-Waleed bin Talal, one of the most media-loved Saudi businessmen, and
Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, former head of the Saudi National Guard. At
the end of the weekend, the impact was clear: The new Saudi power broker
isn’t cutting anyone slack.

Just after that, in an effort to
clean house in one fell swoop, Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) announced—by
royal decree—a new anti-corruption committee.

At the moment, most
eyes are on the anti-corruption narrative, which is being pushed by the
Saudi government and media. The announcement of the arrests, made over
Al Arabiya, the Saudi-owned satellite (whose broadcasts are controlled
by the state), showed MBS’s willingness to address corruption. Clearly,
corruption and a lack of transparency is still a significant issue in
Saudi Arabia, and MBS is taking a risk in challenging it.

It seems
the crown prince is far from finished, as news has emerged that one of
the Arab world’s leading broadcasters, MBC, has been put under
government control. Part of its management was removed and the owner
detained. News is also emerging that even the former Saudi Minister of
Oil Ali Al Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s media face for decades, has been
forcibly confined to his quarters.

Other
sources state that a travel ban has been imposed for Saudi officials,
including some figures within Saudi Aramco. The latter have been
informed that travel requests are currently on hold. More interesting is
that the Saudi Monetary Agency (SAMA) has ordered a freezing of
accounts of individuals linked to corruption. SAMA reiterated the
respective accounts of companies have currently not been frozen.

Regarding
the Saudi royals, most princes and princesses are currently prohibited
to travel, except with the permission of King Salman. Foreign money
transfer also has currently been limited to $50,000 per month, with a
two-month limit. Security sources indicate that Saudi princes in Tabuk,
Eastern Province and Mecca have been put under house arrest. At the
same time, Saudi special forces have moved to surround the residencies
of Prince Mishal bin AbdulAziz, Prince AbdulAziz bin Fahd and Prince
Khalid bin Sultan.

These developments are going further than the
original anti-corruption crackdown. The already long-foreseen power
struggle to take the Saudi throne seems to be entering its second phase.
Crown Prince bin Salman seems—supported by signs of support coming from
Washington, Moscow and even Arab neighbors—to take the chance to
overwhelm his local opponents by shockwave tactics. Some indicate that
they expect a possible change of guard at the top in the next couple of
days.

Each day’s developments grow more significant. MBS was able
to increase his own position dramatically this weekend, and continues to
remove remaining opposition by the dozen.

Although short-term
volatility could occur, overall stability and change inside of the
kingdom is to be expected, as MBS and his supporters are holding not
only the military and security forces in their hands, but have also
gained the trust and support of the majority of the Saudis.

MBS
has the same charisma as John F. Kennedy had when took the U.S.
presidential office. The crown prince has gained an almost movie-star
popularity under the young Saudis, who form the majority of the
population.

These current developments didn’t come out of nowhere.
The basis for the anti-corruption crackdown was supported by the
success of the Future Investment Initiative 2017. Dubbed “Davos in the
Desert”, this high-profile gathering of the world’s leading financial
power brokers happened in Riyadh last week.

At the event, MBS
received the green light to pursue his Saudi Vision 2030 dream to wean
the kingdom from its hydrocarbon addiction. In the same week, U.S.
president Trump and his administration increased their support for the
Saudi hardline position to Iran, IRGC and Hezbollah. Washington also
increased its pressure on Qatar to soon move away from Tehran.

These
regional and geopolitical developments have bolstered the views of the
MBS to pursue his strategy of confronting Iran and its proxies. It’s no
coincidence that the start of the crackdown popped up at the same time
that Lebanese prime minister Hariri took refuge in the kingdom. Thus,
the link with Hezbollah-Iran and Lebanon isn’t difficult.

Without
trying to assess the present situation as dire and threatening, all
signs show that the region, under influence of Saudi’s new de-facto
ruler, is heading toward a full confrontation with Iran. The internal
Game of Thrones of Saudi royals is now being slowly but obviously
transformed to a full-scale showdown with Iran and its proxies.

Saudi
Arabia—supported by the UAE, Bahrain and likely Egypt—was openly given
the green light by Trump’s secretary of treasury and secretary of state.
The silence on the Russian front indicates a possible change of heart
in Putin’s coterie, as well. Saudi Arabia and others openly stated that
Iran has committed several acts of war against the kingdom. The
ballistic missile attack by Houthi rebels on the airport of Riyadh is
directly linked to an act of war by Iran, perceived to be the provider
of these systems.

The coming days are crucial for the region’s
stability and future. The ongoing power struggle in the kingdom, which
is currently openly on the streets, not only targets corruption, but is a
move to consolidate power by Crown Prince bin Salman. His movement is
clear, and should perhaps be supported in full, as it could lead the
change that young Saudis want. The outcome will decide the further steps
needed by all parties involved.

Considering the signs, the most
positive outcome would be a consolidation of the position of MBS as the
main power broker, leading to a full implementation of Saudi Vision
2030. In the short term, this won’t prohibit the Saudis and their allies
to react and act with full military power against the Iranian power
projections and its proxies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.

Stability
and security in Saudi Arabia is seen as a leading factor in MBS’s power
strategies. Confrontations inside and outside the kingdom aren’t seen as
a no-go area. After decades of listening to U.S., European or Russian
advice, MBS is creating his own future. Short-term financial or economic
instability and geopolitical risks have increased substantially in the
last 24 hours.